EF experience and a couple of questions

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Hoosier_Daddy

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I went to a EF Mass offered about an hour away from my home. I have been to a couple of EF Masses but not too many because it is somewhat of a rarity. One EF Mass I went to about two years ago was not an approved Mass. It was SSPX. It had one of the best homilies I have ever heard. But sadly, the SSPX refuses to come into the Church. I went yesterday to an EF offered in my diocese. It is run by the FSSP and the priest comes in from quite a distance. He had an emergency and was late yesterday so the Mass was moved to a “day chapel” and I actually liked that better. (The original place is quite “modern” and has some sort of “art” of a crucifix that looks like Jesus is a snowboarder in the olympics.:rolleyes:)

My questions are these:
  1. The entire Mass was in latin. I mean everything. Readings, etc. I swear at the SSPX Mass I attended the readings were in english. Is this common? I did have a missal to follow along so I was able to read the readings.
  2. There was no homily. Is this common?
All in all the Mass was wonderful and I loved it. Everyone was friendly and respectful. The thing that struck me the most was the reverent absolute SILENCE. It was very very quiet. Even the babies seemed to be praying!😃
 
  1. That’s normal. There was no authorization for the vernacular within that missal to my knowledge. However, see answer to 2 below.*
  2. That’s not normal on a Sunday. I’ve *never *been to a Sunday Mass without a sermon, including a re-reading of the epistle and Gospel readings in English. *However, it’s normal to have no sermon at daily Mass; father knows you have to get to work afterwords.
I love the silence of the low Mass as well. It’s probably my Irish heritage (for hundreds of years, that’s all they had, since the Masses were held in secret outdoor meeting places).

Also, just as an aside, it’s not really true to say the SSPX “refuses to come into the Church” since they are Catholics. Having suspended faculties and an irregular legal status for a priestly order isn’t the same as being outside the Church.
 
P.S. You said father was late because he had to tend to an emergency, right?

Then very probably he skipped the sermon (that’s his right) to allow the faithful to leave more or less on time, which can be really important for families with young children.

That would be my guess, anyway.
 
Rich_C said:
P.S. You said father was late because he had to tend to an emergency, right?

Then very probably he skipped the sermon (that’s his right) to allow the faithful to leave more or less on time, which can be really important for families with young children.

That would be my guess, anyway.
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That is something I had not thought of. You are probably right.
 
Rich_C said:
Also, just as an aside, it’s not really true to say the SSPX “refuses to come into the Church” since they are Catholics. Having suspended faculties and an irregular legal status for a priestly order isn’t the same as being outside the Church.
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I don’t want this to be an SSPX thread. I am quite aware of their situation and my point is that they would not be in that situation had they not refused to sign something the Pope asked them to sign. They refused. Yes, they are valid but illicit. But they refused. Had they not refuse they would be fully functional in the Church, Marriages, confessions, the whole nine yards. And they would have me as a parishioner. But they refused.
 
=Hoosier Daddy;11852919]I went to a EF Mass offered about an hour away from my home. I have been to a couple of EF Masses but not too many because it is somewhat of a rarity. One EF Mass I went to about two years ago was not an approved Mass. It was SSPX. It had one of the best homilies I have ever heard. But sadly, the SSPX refuses to come into the Church. I went yesterday to an EF offered in my diocese. It is run by the FSSP and the priest comes in from quite a distance. He had an emergency and was late yesterday so the Mass was moved to a “day chapel” and I actually liked that better. (The original place is quite “modern” and has some sort of “art” of a crucifix that looks like Jesus is a snowboarder in the olympics.:rolleyes:)
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My questions are these:
  1. The entire Mass was in latin. I mean everything. Readings, etc. I swear at the SSPX Mass I attended the readings were in english. Is this common? I did have a missal to follow along so I was able to read the readings.
  2. There was no homily. Is this common?
Click to expand...
All in all the Mass was wonderful and I loved it. Everyone was friendly and respectful. The thing that struck me the most was the reverent absolute SILENCE. It was very very quiet. Even the babies seemed to be praying!😃
Click to expand...
The NORM is that a Mass that fulfills ones weekly obligation is to have a homily:)

Every EF Mass I have attended is in Latin; but the readings are done twice: once in Latin and once in English.

MY GUESS is that the priest was scheduled for another LAtin MAss and was running late for it so omitted the English readings.🙂
 
Hoosier_Daddy said:
My questions are these:
  1. The entire Mass was in latin. I mean everything. Readings, etc. I swear at the SSPX Mass I attended the readings were in english. Is this common? I did have a missal to follow along so I was able to read the readings.
Click to expand...
The FSSP AND SSPX both follow the 1962 Missal and Liturgical Books, which is the only one allowed(for the most part) by the Church to consitute as the Extraordinary Form, as such they are to follow the directives, rubrics and other guidelines in placed at the time of it’s promulgation until the close of the Vatican II, as such when it comes to readings there actualy quite a few options:

The most common is that the readings, in both High and Low Mass be done in Latin first then right before the Sermon, re-read in the Vernacular.

Another is that at Low Mass, but not High Mass, the readings could be done in the Vernacular within the context of the Mass, but only for a Low Mass.

And yet another option is that while the Priest, is reading the Epistle to himself in Latin, a Lector may read it to the congregation in the vernacular.

And despite all this the Celebrant may just simply choose to not reiterate the readings in the vernacular which is perfectly fine.
Hoosier_Daddy said:
  1. There was no homily. Is this common?
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While it’s quite unusual, there is nothing in the rubrics of EF that makes a Sermon, even on Sunday, necessary, so I’m guessing due to the delay of the Mass’ start the priest just chose to skip it.
 
In Low Masses the readings may be done in Latin or the vernacular, per SP.

In all sung Masses the readings must be sung in Latin because the singing of the readings is an integral part of the Rite. One may ask why they can’t be sung in the vernacular. I guess this is because the tones would be messed up in certain languages, and yes, the tones do matter. It’s not just a matter of singing them, but rather, there are difference singing tones for different levels of solemnity. Ie a ferial tone, a solemn tone, etc. Anyway, then, before the homily, they may be repeated in the vernacular, but this is not required.

In any case, having the readings in the vernacular is never required, and in sung Masses it is required that they be sung in Latin, but it is often the case that they are done in the vernacular in Low Masses or either repeated in the vernacular (for all the kinds of Mass).

I think I’ve got this right.
 
I’ve only been to FSSP masses on a weekday so I can’t comment on a lack of homily for a Sunday mass, although I’d be very surprised if there wasn’t one. At the SSPX I’ve only been on Sundays because the chapel I used to go to only had a visiting priest that came in for Sundays and Holy Days. There was always a homily ( a very good one) and the gospel was always repeated in English prior to the homily.
 
When I used to attend the SSPX, it was not uncommon that the sermon would be omitted at times for the very reason that the priest was up most of the night at the bedside of a dying person.

Hoosier, it may be that the priest had little sleep, and was too tired to give a sermon and to read the Gospel and Epistle in English.

Glad you and the family liked your experience there! I’m impressed especially with those praying infants! 😉
 
Psalitte said:
And yet another option is that while the Priest, is reading the Epistle to himself in Latin, a Lector may read it to the congregation in the vernacular.
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I’ve seen/heard the Passion being done this way but not the epistle.
 
All this is good to know. I have no idea if omitting the homily is standard practice. I guess I could call and ask or go again.
It would be nice if it were not so far away.
 
Just clarifying what others have said:
  1. Per Summorum Pontificum, the readings may be done in the vernacular only at Low Mass. But most priests just read it in Latin, and then read it in the vernacular during the homily.
  2. Whether it is the TLM or the Novus Ordo, a homily must be given on all Sundays or holy days of obligation, unless a grave reason exists. I assume the priest had a good reason. But, if he does this again, go ahead and politely ask him about the omission, as he may not know that, even in the EF, a homily must be given on a Sunday.
 
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